Thursday, June 6, 2019

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 24, Reinforcing The Fairings Part 1




If your build is like mine, (on some fins) the rear of the fairing base doesn't contact the body tube. The edge floats, not making contact with the end of the body tube.
It can be reinforced.




You'll need some Contact Cement to do this.
HISTORY: Contact cement is interesting stuff, it was once supplied with the Centuri Saturn V and Saturn 1B kits to attache the vacu-form wraps.

The trouble in the Centuri kits is, you got one shot to set the wraps. When applied on both pieces to be joined, Contact Cement (when dry) grabs immediately and won't let go!
Contact cement is good for some plastic to Kraft tube bonds. It can be messy, it's like brushing on snot.
I'll add some 110 lb. card stock on the base of the fairings.

These reinforcement "crescents" have been drawn up and are available on a PDF. If you are a Patreon supporter, email me at: oddlrockets@bellsouth.net and ask for the: #2157 3rd Stage Shroud PDF.
This PDF includes the 3rd Stage wrap and Anchor Wire bend template. 

To make your own, trace around the fairing.
Cut out that disk. Trace it and use a compass to draw a better arc a little smaller than the tracing. Trace four pieces with the inside (shown here under the ruler) a bit longer.
Cut out this template. Set it against the base of the fairing and trace the underside inside arc. Cut the underside arc making a crescent moon shape.
Ideally, the inside arc should be a little larger to overlap the tube edge. That overlap will be trimmed off after the glue dries.

Total build time for this two-part step in next post -

3 comments:

  1. Chris, so why the push to use contact cement for this procedure over using regular yellow glue (or titebond)? Couldn't those work just as well?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Manny,
      I try to use the best glue for the job. Yellow glue is water based and can't soak into the plastic on the fairing. Contact cement works on the surface of the parts being joined, bonding better than yellow glue ever could. Yellow glue joints would peel off after it dried.

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    2. Chris,
      Yeah, after I posted this question and thought about it I realized that it was gluing paper to plastic - I am so used to just working with cardboard and wood on rockets and not vac-formed plastic that it just never occurred to me about yellow glue not sticking.

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